Movie Review - American Sniper

American Sniper ***½ (out of 5) (R) Clint Eastwood adds another success to his war-related directing resume with this fine tribute to a real-life hero. Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle served four tours in Iraq/Afghanistan. He became the most prolific practitioner of that specialty in U.S. military history, earning “The Legend” as a reverential nickname from his peers. Bradley Cooper plays him well, showing not only the subject’s backstory and his achievements overseas, but the inner man, as well.

The script from four credited writers, including Kyle’s own book, offers insights into the physical and emotional aspects of that unique combat role, covering both the theaters of action and the price paid on the homefront. As depicted, Kyle’s sense of duty and loyalty to the troops he protected from above was impossible to forget between tours. He adored his wife (Sienna Miller) and kids, but seemed restless and distracted stateside, obsessing about the troops he wasn’t covering, and the enemy’s skilled sniper counterpart he’d been unable to eliminate.

If you don’t already know Kyle’s story, the film will be more compelling, since you won’t know how it ends. Those who do will still find that Eastwood honors the soldier, the person, and his family while resisting the easy temptation to overplay any of the intense emotions experienced by the principals. The former laconic cowboy star presents his laconic hero with an old-fashioned straightforward narrative befitting not only Kyle, but all the warriors and loved ones represented by this story. Kyle’s experience transcends all political viewpoints, reminding us of how simple principled decisions can be. As Fess Parker’s Davy Crockett memorably phrased it, “Be sure you’re right, then go ahead.” (1/16/15)